Cândido Rondon

Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon (1865 to 1958) was a Brazilian explorer and supporter of Brazil's indigenous peoples. The state of Rondônia is named after him. As an army engineer he was tasked with constructing telegraph lines across remote regions of the country. In total he was responsible for establishing some 4000 km of telegraph lines throughout the Brazilian jungle. As a result, he became quite an explorer, discovering new rivers and previously undiscovered tribes. He cared deeply for the fate of the indigenous people and was named the first director of Brazil's Indian Protection Bureau. He achieved the highest military rank. A true Brazilian hero.